


new year's day

by legally_blonde



Series: Jukebox Love Story [5]
Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M, Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24439129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legally_blonde/pseuds/legally_blonde
Summary: Jackie's cleaning up bottles with Hyde on New Year's Day.
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde
Series: Jukebox Love Story [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1728451
Comments: 2
Kudos: 57





	new year's day

**New Year’s Day**

* * *

_Don’t read the last page, but I stay when you’re lost and I’m scared and you’re turning away_

_I want your midnights, but I’ll be cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day_

* * *

**January 1, 1980**

* * *

Jackie woke up on a hard cot under a scratchy blanket in her clothes from last night. She panicked for a minute, not immediately recognizing where she was, but then she took a deep breath and the memories hit her like a freight train. This was Steven’s room – she was in Steven’s bed. She blinked a few times to look around and everything looked the same, which was strangely comforting. The only thing that was missing was Steven.

She slowly got out of bed and stretched, trying to wake herself up a little more. She pulled down her mini dress and combed her fingers through her hair to make herself look presentable.

She walked out into the basement and saw Steven asleep on the couch. She fixed his blanket that had fallen off him in the middle of the night before she started to clean up the mess they had made.

* * *

**December 31, 1979**

* * *

Jackie had been hiding from Fez all night. He wanted to give them a chance and felt bad that he moved away instead of trying, but she realized him moving away was the best thing that could have happened. She didn’t want to date Fez, she just didn’t want to be alone. Fez had been trying all night to talk to her, and he thought that kissing her at midnight would magically fix things and they’d be together. At first she just tried to ignore him, but that became increasingly harder to do the more he drank. Eventually she started hiding places and ended up in the basement after he found her in the kitchen, in the bathroom, and in Forman’s room. She knew she had to deal with him eventually – she did share an apartment with him, after all, and there was only so long she could stay at Donna’s.

Jackie was just about to sit down on the couch when she jumped at the sound of someone coming down the stairs. Panicking, she ran into Hyde’s room and prayed Fez was scared of Hyde enough to not go in there. She realized she probably shouldn’t be in her ex-boyfriend’s bedroom that he shared with his illegitimate wife until she left town, but she was desperate.

Jackie laughed at that. She never thought she’d refer to herself as desperate, but here she is, ending the decade at her lowest point. Her parents were gone, she had barely any friends, and she was starting to think she was undatable. She sighed as she looked around Hyde’s room to distract herself. Things really hadn’t changed much in there. Records were still in the corner, dirty band shirts were thrown around. She did notice a picture of the two of them framed on top of his dresser and was surprised by it, but figured he never noticed it there. She didn’t remember giving him a picture frame though, and she didn’t recognize the picture. Jackie picked it up to look closer at it. It was from a yard party the Forman’s had thrown one summer and she was sitting in his lap, like always. They both looked so happy. It was nice to know at one point they were actually happy and in love.

Jackie froze when she heard the door open and prayed it wasn’t Fez or Steven. She wasn’t sure who would be worse to find her in there.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Hyde asked, and she let out a sigh of half-relief.

“I was hiding from Fez,” she said, putting the picture frame back – an action not unnoticed by Hyde. “I heard someone coming downstairs and I thought it was him, I panicked.”

“So you decided my room was the perfect hiding spot?”

“I’m not dressed to hide out in the deep freeze,” she snapped. “Look, I’m sorry. I know you’re weird about your space.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” he shrugged. “I just came down here for some quiet, but I can leave.”

“It’s your room, I’ll find somewhere else to hide,” she said, going to leave but stopped when Hyde grabbed her arm. “What?”

“Someone’s coming,” he said and she nodded.

“Jackie!” she heard Fez yelling and she cringed.

“What am I going to do,” she said. “I’m not ready to deal with him yet.”

“Jackie, are you in Hyde’s room?” Fez said and they heard him approach and start to open the door. “I know you still love him but I’m here to save you from the dirty hippie.”

“He got the dirty hippie thing from you,” Hyde said, looking down at Jackie who shrugged.

“Definitely not the worst thing I’ve called you.”

Hyde thought about leaving Jackie to fend for herself, but saw how freaked out she was so he decided to take pity on her.

“Take off your shoes and hide them in the corner. Quick,” he said and she did what he asked. “Now don’t read too much into this.”

“Into wh-,” she began to say but was cut off when he pushed her on the bed and laid on top of her to cover her with his body.

“Hyde,” Fez said and then saw Hyde was with someone so he smirked. “Oh hello. Hyde and Hyde’s lady friend.”

“Get out,” Hyde said simply, turning to look at Fez but making sure Jackie was still hidden to the best of his ability. “Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“Why yes, you can keep going,” Fez tried but Hyde gave him a dirty look. “I am just looking for my princess, who you threw away like trash so I am here to make her better.”

“Haven’t seen a princess. Now scram.”

“You chased her away, didn’t you?” Fed said angrily.

“I wouldn’t blame that on me tonight,” he said, looking down at Jackie and remembering all the times they were in this position together. “Fez, I’m not going to tell you again.”

“Fine, but know this,” he said indignantly. “You have ruined my New Year’s Eve to win Jackie back. Kelso told me if it doesn’t happen tonight because it’s the end of a decade, then I will never be with her for the next ten years and I have to wait until 1989 New Year’s Eve. I hope your happy. Good day.”

“That’s a load of bullshit.”

“I said good day,” Fez yelled before storming upstairs and leaving them alone.

“Thanks, Steven,” she said, placing her hands on his chest. “I’m sure this isn’t how you wanted to spend your night.”

“It ain’t all bad,” he shrugged, still not moving to get off her. “Got a hot chick in my bed and a bunch of beer I grabbed from upstairs. Sounds like the perfect way to end the ‘70s.”

“You think I’m hot,” she said with a smile, her one hand cupping his cheek.

“Jacks, that definitely wasn’t the thing you were unsure about when we were dating,” he said, deciding it was time to move off her.

“I don’t know,” she said quietly as she sat up in bed. “You get cheated on enough and left for a Las Vegas stripper, you start to wonder.”

“Jackie,” he started to say but she shook her head.

“No need to respond, just talking out loud,” she said, standing up. “Well, I am stuck down here now, sorry to intrude.”

“Not intruding,” Hyde said. “It’s, uh, nice to have you back here.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

After an hour, Hyde and Jackie heard everyone start the countdown upstairs. They had been sitting on his bed laughing at something stupid Kelso had did earlier when they stopped to listen to it.

_30 … 29 … 28 …_

“Any resolutions?” Jackie asked him.

“Dunno, maybe get my life together?” he said and they both started laughing.

“You’re going to do great in life, Steven,” she said, patting his leg. “You have the potential, you always have.”

“What about you, Beulah?”

“Legally change my middle name,” she said as she scrunched her nose. “I don’t know. Maybe figure out a way to leave Point Place? There’s not much left here for me.”

“Red and Kitty would miss you,” he said awkwardly.

“I’d miss them too. I’d miss everyone,” she said, taking the chance to look up at him and saw he looked uncomfortable at the idea of her leaving. “I don’t know, it’s just a thought.”

_20 … 19 … 18…_

“Well, it’s still the ‘70s so we have time to figure it out,” Hyde said, opening another can of beer.

“Exactly,” Jackie nodded. “Just a few more seconds left.”

_10 … 9… 8… 7…_

“I’d miss you Jackie,” Hyde said suddenly. “If you left, I would miss you.”

“I’d miss you too,” she said.

_5 .. 4 .._

“You think we can start over?”

“I’d like that.”

_3 … 2 … 1 …_

“Happy New Year, Steven,” Jackie said, raising her beer bottle up to cheers.

“Happy New Year, doll,” he said, tapping his beer bottle against hers and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. “Circle?”

“Circle.”

* * *

**January 1, 1980**

* * *

“Shit,” Jackie whispered as she dropped the bag of beer bottles and it clattered loudly, waking Hyde up.

“Hey,” he said, sitting up and stretching. “I can do that later.”

“No, I got it,” she said awkwardly. “We drank a ton.”

“Smoked a ton too,” Hyde said, looking at the table that had a half empty baggie. “Probably the best New Year’s Eve I had in years.”

“Really?” she asked, handing the garbage bag to him when he stood up. “Even though, even though it was with me?”

“You’re what made it that much better,” he said quietly as he started throwing out stuff. “I probably would have been down here by myself while everyone got all coupley upstairs.”

“Did you mean what you said last night?” she asked and he looked at her questioningly. They were heavily under the influence and he wasn’t sure what kind of crap he spouted off. “About starting over?”

“Oh, yeah,” he nodded. “New year, fresh start, right?”

“Yeah,” she smiled.

They cleaned in silence the rest of the morning, unsure of how to start over with so much history between the two of them. Jackie wanted Hyde back in her life so badly, he became her best friend and it hurt when she lost him. Hyde felt the same way. Jackie just _got_ him like no one else did, and he figured no one else would. He messed up and he wanted to make things right, no matter how long it took.

“Finally cleaned,” Jackie said, sitting down on the couch.

“I don’t think it’s ever been this clean,” Hyde said and Jackie agreed. “So, it’s officially the ‘80s. What now?”

“That’s a good question,” she said. “I should probably man up and deal with Fez. Start looking at apartments to move into because I don’t know if I can stay there anymore after all this.”

“Still thinking of leaving Point Place?”

“Yeah,” she said honestly. “I meant what I said. I don’t have much left here, I could use a fresh start.”

“Fair enough,” he said. “Leaving doesn’t sound so bad.

“Steven, Promise me something,” she said quietly, looking up at him with her big doll eyes. “If we both leave town.”

“Anything, doll.”

“Please don’t ever become a stranger whose laugh I could recognize anywhere.”

“I promise,” he said, pulling her over into his lap to be how they used to be just for a moment. She lifted his glasses off his eyes so she could really see him for the first time in months. “We’re gonna do this right this time. I’m going to do this right this time. Fresh start.”

“Okay,” she nodded, patting his cheek as she put his glasses back down.

* * *

**December 31, 1989**

* * *

“Having a good night?” Jackie asked as she walked up behind her husband and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“I’ve got my hot wife who will be in my bed tonight and a bunch of beer, what do you think?” Hyde asked, kissing the top of her head. “Rhiannon went to sleep?”

“Yeah, she’s exhausted and back in her crib.”

“Good, you’re all mine tonight,” he said, kissing her sweetly on the lips.

“Of course,” she smiled. “You know Fez is trying to win me back.”

“Yeah, it’s 1989. If he doesn’t win you back tonight, he’ll have to wait another ten years to do it,” Hyde smirked. “I might just let him this year.”

“You wouldn’t,” she gasped. “Michael could be right.”

“About the ten year rule?”

“Yeah,” she nodded. “You won me over that night ten years ago, you might have to win me over again to keep me for another ten years.”

“I have an idea of how to do that,” he whispered in her ear before placing a kiss on her neck. “Beer, circle, maybe a kiss this time.”

“Just a kiss?”

“For now,” he said, kissing her sweetly on the lips. “Need to keep you interested to stick around each decade.”

“As long as I’m cleaning up bottles with you on New Year’s Day each year, I’m more than interested in sticking around,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Jackie!” Fez exclaimed. “Your prince is here to rescue you from the dirty hippie. And to eat your candy.”

“I think Hyde put a ring on it so he could eat Jackie’s candy,” Kelso said, and Brooke slapped him in the gut.

“You can marry candy?”

“We really need to stop inviting them over,” Hyde said and Jackie nodded in agreement.

* * *

_Hold on to the memories, they will hold on to you_

_& I will hold on to you_

**Author's Note:**

> Song: New Year's Day - Taylor Swift
> 
> Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Please let me know what you thought :)


End file.
